Number 9 May Do Fine

By Don Rittner

The four-story brownstone and iron front building at number 9 First Street (originally numbers 8 & 9) is the ninth endangered building on my top ten list of Troy buildings that need protection. Fortunately, No. 9 First Street is now in good hands.

Built in 1864 by William H Young, it features an ornate cast iron storefront cast by Starbuck Brothers foundry, formerly on Center Island (where the gas tanks are now located next to the Green Island bridge).

William H. Young was a bookbinder and bookseller. On March 1, 1842, Young and a partner, Charles P. Hartt, purchased the previous book and stationary business of Ebenezer Pratt who first began the business in the spring of 1821 on River Street opposite Titus’s Tavern, not far from the present site. The First Street building also had an entrance on River Street, Number 214 that served as a storeroom. In 1871, Young built a larger three story building next door at 216 River and added a bookbindery and printing office.

Young is well known as the publisher of several of Troy’s early histories by Arthur Weise, as well as many of the early city directories and other publications including religious and trade items.

Young also rented out the upper floors to a new business college called Bryant & Stratton Mercantile College, a firm originally from Ohio, and which later became Bryant & Stratton & Folsom’s Troy Business College. Bryant & Stratton Mercantile College was founded locally in Albany in 1857, and by 1865 they had a school in Troy, first at the Cannon Building, then at number 9 First Street. B&S had a chain of about 50 schools at the time but split up in 1867, and each school took on its own name and life; the school in Albany became the Bryant & Stratton & Folsom's Albany Business College (ABC) and was owned by Ezekiel G. Folsom. John Richard Carnell, who purchased the Troy school in 1867 (Bryant & Stratton & Carnell) was born in Troy in 1845 and was a graduate of the Troy Business College in 1865 and also taught there. The school was incorporated in 1871 as the Troy Commercial College and moved to the Troy Times Building on Broadway and Third. Carnell sold it however in 1876 to Harrison B. McCreary and Thomas H Shields. When the Times Building burned in February, 1878, the college move to Kennedy Hall at 13 Third.

Ironically, both Bryant & Stratton and Albany Business College that were once owned by the same family (Folsom) merged in 1951. The Troy name was kept for years in hopes that it would be revived, but never was. In 1988, ABC was sold to Bryant & Stratton of Buffalo, and in 1989, the school was renamed Bryant & Stratton Business Institute and moved to its existing location on Central Avenue in 1990.

Unfortunately Number 9 First Street didn’t fare so well and during recent years became a well known flop house, until a couple of years ago when it was rescued. Fortunately for Troy, the enterprising company that purchased and restored the adjacent Rice Building, a non profit, but tax paying organization that comprises TAP, RPI and the Troy Savings Bank, decided to acquire the building and incorporate it into the Rice Building as an annex. I can’t think of a more fitting idea.

This group already has brought back from the dead one of the city’s more treasured architectural jewels. The Rice building, built by lawyer and poet, Benjamin Hall in 1871, sat neglected for years, destined to become another parking lot. It now lights up the intersection of First and River and stands out even as you drive along Interstate 787.

According to Joe Fama from TAP, one of the owners in the partnership, they plan on renovating the building as quickly as they can. They have initially been funded by money from Senator Joe Bruno and State Historic Preservation, totaling $133,000. Since the original building was basically four floors with large expanses of rooms, supported by thin columns, they can pretty much design the interior any way they choose. Of course, their aim is to attract young new businesses to the city just as they have with the Rice Building, and this kind of space versatility should be an enticement for anyone wanting to come to Troy.

There is a certain amount of irony to all this as well. A "Young" entrepreneur who published histories of Troy built number 9 First Street, while a published poet lawyer built the adjacent Rice building. Now Number 9 First Street is itself a piece of Troy history and will once again serve as headquarters for new young entrepreneurs as part of the Rice building.